Swaged gem-setting.



F. A. PAIRBROTHER.

SWAGED GEM SETTING.

APYLIOA'IfION mum APR. 11, 1910. mmnwnn MAY 13, 1911.

1,001,377. Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

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nrr rare n'rn'r orrren FREDERIC A. FAIRBROTI-IER, 0F

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SWAGED GEM-SETTING.

Application filed April 11, 1910, Serial No. 554,690. Renewed May 13,1911.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

Serial No. 627,077.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnnnnuio A. Fam- BROTHER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSwaged Gem-Settings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gem-settings of the class formed integral frommetal stock, and it consists in certain novel features of construction,all as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The object I have in view is to produce, preferably by swaging, fromsuitable, comparatively thick, flat stock a cup-shaped set ting or unitfor securely holding a stone or gem therein. The units embodying mypresent improvement are, however, more particularly devised for use incluster work, so-called, wherein a plurality of units are disposed orarranged with relation to one another and then soldered together, thusproducing various designs.

In my improved gem-setting, one of its novel features is to construct itso that when viewed from the side, its surface will present theappearance of solid, imperforate metal, and so that when a number of theunits are soldered together they will present a continuous surface ofmetal. In lieu of providing the setting with the usual. elongatedindividual prongs or cramps, the upper perimeter or edge of the sidewall, 6., the surface just referred to, terminates in a very thin orattenuated portion, having its inner side extending cireui'nferentiallydownward therefrom a short distance and merging into a narrow, inwardlyprojecting, continuous circular flange, adapted to constitute the seatfor the gem or stone to rest upon. As thus devised, the body proper ofthe setting is comparatively, but not uniformly, thick throughout, thusinsuring strength and mass of metal at desired portions, and capable ofbeing readily operated upon and not requiring additional. backing when aplurality of units are Joined together with solder.

The stone is secured in place by pressing inward the comparatively thinupper portion of the setting against the girdle of the stone and at thesame time turning the said extremely thin upper edge of the settingslightly over and against the face of the stone, the operation beingquite unlike the bending of a prong of uniform thickness over a stone asin ordinary settings.

Thus, it will be seen that my improved gem-setting possesses a verystrong and rigid body below the seat line and a minimum of metal aboveit, the construction being such as to permit a snug grouping of theunits and present a continuous border of metal exterior of the stonesheld therein, the actual turned over rim or edge of each unit extendingbut slightly above the corresponding edge of the stone, as beforestated. It may be added, that in my improved gem-setting the dispositionof the metal forming the top edge flange is such that a minimum ofpressure upon the extreme upper part of .it will readily bend it and setit over inwardly against the edge of the stone sufliciently to hold thelatter in position. As thus devised, it will be seen that the entiremass of metal in the flange is not bent bodily in securing the stone tothe setting.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1. represents, in greatly"enlarged scale, a side elevation of my improved gemsctting, showing agem mounted therein, as produced by swaging from comparatively thickstock. In this form the unit is more especially adapted for use as asingle or individual setting. llig. 2 is a vertical sectional view ofthe gem-setting or unit before the gem is secured therein, the sectionbeing taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a corresponding top planview. Fig. 4 represents a top plan view of the unit, showing itsgem-holding edge or flange, having a plurality of openings therein, orbeing noncoutinuous circumferentially, thereby adapting it to beemployed in cluster work. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken online t 41; of Fig. 1. Fig. (3 is a plan view of the unit, furthermodified. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of it, taken on line 6 (5 of Fig.6. Fig. 8 represents a top plan view of a pair of units, solderedtogether. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of one of the last-named unit-s.Fig. 10 represents a front elevation of an article of jewelry, as acharm pendant, formed wholly from a series of my improved gem-carryingunits, soldered together; and Fig. 11 is a corresponding side or edgeview of it.

My improved gem-setting unit A is employed being devised so that inproducing it, the metal is disposed unequally. The barrel or bodyportion proper a of the unit is or may be cylindrical, or it may haveany other shape cross-sectionally, the outer surface of its wall ina'longitudinal direction being parallel with the longitudinal axis ofthe setting, thereby adapting it to present greater contact area when aplurality of the units are to be soldered together. The bottom or baseend portion a of the unit, as drawn, has a concavo-convex form crosssectionally. The maximum diameter of the base part at its junction withthe body part is somewhat less than the latter, thus forming a small,outer lateral peripheral rib or shoulder 0 having one or more shallowgrooves or breaks 5 formed therein and extending longitudinally of theunit. The upper edge of the part a isprovided with an innercircumscribing seat or end portion 0 adapted, when in use, to support agem or stone thereon. Itwill be seen, referring, say to Fig. 2, that thethickness of the walls is not uniform, but is materially thicker wherestrength and rigidity are required. The metal at the bottom of the mainor cup chamber 7 may be considerably thinner than the other portions ofthe walls; it also may have a self-centering form, as indicated at a Themetal of the body a is, during the swaging process, extendedcircumferentially upward a short distance from the said seat part 0 soas to produce a very thin rim 6, terminating in the attenuated edge 6The form of the rim cross-sectionally is substantially wedge-shape. Theouter or eX- terior surface of the rim is a continuation of thecorresponding surface of the said shoulder or rib part (4 The oppositeor inner surface of the rim 5 extends downward and inward from the sharpedge 6 and joins the seat 0 at 0 the included angle being very small oracute. I prefer to make the thickness of the rim 6 at its base equal tothe offset part or width of said shoulder a the outer diameter of theparts a and 0 being alike.

In securing a gem, as g, to the unit, the gem is placed in the cupchamber f and supported by the seat csee corresponding position of thegem, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the girdle m of the gem thenlying, say about midway of the depth of the thin circumscribing rim I).Now, upon pressing against the outer peripheral surface of the upperportion of the rim, its extremely thin edge part will be deflectedinwardly and engage the adjacent upper surface of the gem, substantiallyas repre sented in Fig. 1.

In producing the units to be employed in clusterwork, the swaging andforming dies are constructed so as to produce in the In the assemblingand joining of the units A to produce cluster work, as for eX ample thearticle of jewelry shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the outer or end units,designated 1, have each only one groove and gap in its surface; thecenter unit 3 four, and the intermediate units 2 two. The width of theseopenings is such that when the units are assembled and connected orjoined together in any figure or design, the body parts a will presentthe appearance of an unbroken or continuous metal surface see Fig. 11.Moreover, as thus constructed, the contiguous metal of each pair ofunits at the bottom of the grooved parts affords a comparatively largeand true surface for the joining solder, as shown at s Fig. 8; thesolder itself being wholly concealed when viewed from the front andside. The gems themselves are thus brought into close contact with oneanother, thus presenting a more brilliant and ornamental effect. In somecases the bottom of the units may, if desired, be pierced with a hole,as 72 Figs. 6 and 7 to permit the passage of light rays.

ll am aware that gem-settings, or boxsettings, as they are sometimestermed, have been produced from tubular or annular stock, the unit insuch case having its upper portion reduced in diameter both eX- teriorlyand interiorly to form a thin annular flange or neck adapted to be bentinward to contact with the stone or gem. l/Vhile such former units maybe assembled, arranged and soldered together in a cluster form, it isobvious that comparatively large open spaces and distances mustnecessarily intervene between the adjacent outer edges or girdles of thethus grouped gems, although the contiguous sides or walls of the bodypart of the metal units, or gem-setthe closest proximity to one anotherto form a cluster having correspondingly greater brilliancy and in whichnone of the metal whatever will be visible, when viewed from the frontface of the cluster, except alone the tip edges of the rim 6, and thesemembers may if desired be made very narrow.

I claim as my invention:

1. As an improved article of manufz'icturo a swaged one-piecegenrsetting unit adapted for use in cluster Work, the same comprising acupshaped body or barrel part proper having the upper end of its wallprovided with a substantially continuous unobstructed circumferentialseat, adapted to support thereon a stone or gem whose maximum diameteris the same as that of the said barrel part, said seat portion beinguniform in width or thickness throughout and substantially uniform withthe thickness of said wall, and an integral circumferential rib havingone or more breaks or grooves in its periphery, said rib extendinglongitudinally of and projecting laterally from the barrel part and alsoupwardly beyond and independently of the said seat.

2. As an improved article of manufacture a swaged one-piece gem-settingunit adapted for use in cluster work, the same comprising a cup-shapedbody or barrel part proper having the upper end of its wall providedwith a substantially continuous unobstructed circumferential seat,adapted to support thereon a stone or gem Whose maximum diameter is thesame as that of the said barrel part, said seat portion being uniform inwidth or thickness throughout and substantially uniform with thethickness of said wall, and an integral circumferential rib having oneormore breaks or grooves in its periphery, said rib extendinglongitudinally of and projecting laterally from the barrel part and alsoupwardly beyond and independently of the said seat, the said part of therib above the seat being substantially wedge'shape transversely andterminating in an attenuated edge.

3. In an article of jewelry, the combination of a plurality ofcup-shaped gem-settings ar-anged in cluster form having the sides ofcontiguous units in actual contact with one another and united bysolder, each of said gem-setting units having at its upper end a narrowunobstructed annular flange uniform in thickness throughout itscircumference adapted to form a seat for a gem or stone, an integralclrcun'lferential rib having one or more shallow breaks or grooves inits periphery, said rib extending longitudinally of the body portion ofthe setting and pro jecting both laterally and upwardly beyond the saidseat or flange part and terminating in an attenuated edge, constructedand arranged whereby when the outer surfaces diametrically of the bodyportion proper of the contiguous units are in actual contact andsoldered together the outer peripheries of the flanges or seats thereofat said contacting points are also in engagement, thereby producing acluster setting in which gems may be grouptal together without any spacebetween them at the said points where the units are joined.

In testimony whereof, I have aiiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

FREDERIC A. FAIRBROTHER.

Witnesses Gno. H. REMINGTON, CALVIN H. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

